SOC 3300 – SOCIAL INEQUALITY

1. SOC 3300 – SOCIAL INEQUALITY • Wed., 5:30-9:15 pm • 1134 Old Main • Dr. M. C. Sengstock • M.Sengstock@wayne.edu • 313-215-6417 (cell) • Teaching Assistant: • Jennifer Lawson • dz6470@wayne.edu • 313-657-7521

2. COURSE DESCRIPTION (rev’d) • SOC 3300. Social Inequality. Cr. 4. • Analysis of inequalities in society … • due to race, gender, cultural differences. • Focus on how inequality is maintained… • the experience of discrimination… • their impact on society … • and institutions: • Economy – government – religion – family • And Individuals

3. TEXTBOOK Tracey E. Ore, Ed. The Social Construction Of Difference and Inequality: Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality. Current Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill.

4. OTHER READING MATERIALS Vincent N. Parillo, 2006. Strangers to These Shores. (8th Edition) Boston: Pearson Mary C. Sengstock, 2009. Voices of Diversity. New York: Springer. All Books Are on Special Reserve in Undergraduate Library.

5. OBJECTIVES – TO UNDERSTAND: • Societal Structure/Social Institutions • Nature of Prejudice & Discrimination • Their Impact on Individuals/Society • Inequalities – Prejudice – Discrimination • How/Why They Develop • How/Why They Are Maintained

6. COURSE REQUIREMENTS • Exams – Both Multiple Choice: • Mid-Term & Final Exam • Extra Credit for Submitting Exam Questions • Class Presentation (10 Minutes) • On Some Aspect of YOUR Personal Experience with Inequality • YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO SCHEDULE! • Term Paper • 3-4 Pages – 3 References • MUST Be Academic (Not “Popular”) Citations • No Web Citations! • Review of Literature on Relevant Topic • Will Have Extra Discussion on How to Write a Paper! • Due Wed., 3/20/13 – YOUR RESPONSIBILITY!

7. Questions? Issues?

8. INEQUALITY • Varying Ways People Are Treated & Defined in Society • Ways Sociology Has Dealt With These Issues • Formerly: 2 Separate Issues • Socio-Economic Class – Economic Inequality • Race & Ethnic Inequality • Today: Broad “Umbrella” – Varies with the Society: “Inequality”: • Economic – Race – Gender • “Ethnic” (Nationality – Cultural – Religion – Gender) • Other??

9. CHANGING VIEWS OF INEQUALITY IN SOCIOLOGY • Change of Definition & Treatment in Sociology • Former: 2 Separate Issues • Socio-Economic Class – Economic Inequality • Race & Ethnic Inequality • Today: Broad “Umbrella” – Varies with the Society: • “Inequality”: • Economic – Race – Nationality – Religion – Gender – Other??

10. KEY ISSUES IN INEQUALITY • Who Gets the “Goodies”? • Who’s Left Out? • Who Decides? • How is System Perpetuated – Mechanisms? • What Mechanisms for Change Exist?

11. 3 MAJOR ISSUES • Defining Differences: How Societies Define Which Characteristics Are Important to Evaluate & How They Evaluate Them • Determining Inequality: How Societies Decide Which Differences Lead to An Unequal Position in Society • Developing a Stratification Structure: How These Differences Are Used to Develop an On-going Social Structure Over Time

12. ORE’S MAJOR POINTS • Source of Our Construction of Differences: • Biological Differences: • Skin Color; Sex; Age; Physical Size; Hair Color; Physical Disabilities; Blood Types • Do We Use These? Some of Those Used: • Skin Color; Sex; Age (Sometimes) • Do We Ignore Others? • Physical Size (Except Extremes – “Little People”; Giants); Hair Color; Blood Types; Facial Shapes

13. SOCIAL vs. BIOLOGICAL ASPECTS • What Society/People Define as the Important Issues • May Not Be Biological At All: • Early U.S. History: • Distinctions Between Original Founding English (Puritans, Pilgrims) – And Everybody Else: • Scots, Welsh – Protestants from British Isles • Later: Irish – Especially! • WHY? What Made Them REALLY Different?

14. SOCIAL DEFINITIONS – RARELY ALLOW VARIATIONS • EX: “RACE” in U.S. History • “Hypo-descent”: • “Hypo” Means “Less Than” • EX: “Hypoglycemia” vs. “Hyperglycemia” • EX: Pres. Obama; Jefferson’s child(ren) by Sally Hemings – ANY Black Ancestry Defines One As “Black” • Will Examine Examples from My Study of “Mixed Background” People • Focus on Variety of Dimensions: Race, Religion, Nationality

15. DIFFERENCE: ALWAYS NEGATIVE? • Is Difference Always Negative? • Only If It Is Viewed As Such • EX: Skin Color; Sex (Gender); Physical Disability • What Is the Difference Between SEX & GENDER • A SOCIAL Definition – Not Necessarily Biological (Sexual Orientation) • What Things Do We Choose to Define As Different? • When Can It Be Positive? • Differences in Music, Food, Personality

16. QUESTIONS WE WILL STUDY: • HOW Do We Construct Categories of DIFFERENCE regarding: • Race – Ethnicity – Sex/Gender – Sexuality – Social Class? • WHAT Creates These Categories? • HOW Are They Constructed? • WHY Are They Created? • INTERSECTIONALITY – How Do They Interrelate? (I.e., “Intersect”)

17. CONSTRUCTING STRATIFICATION • What Is “STRATIFICATION”? • A System of LEVELS in a HIERARCHY – From Higher to Lower or Vice Versa • How Do Social Categories Turn into a System of “STRATIFICATION” ? • How Do Societies Define Who Is “Higher” & Who is “Lower”?

18. CRITICAL COMPONENT OF ANALYSIS • What is Necessary to Do This Kind of Analysis? CRITICAL THINKING • Need To Examine the Ways In Which Our Social Structure AFFECTS US: • Our VALUES • Our ATTITUDES • Our BEHAVIORS • OUR ASSUMPTIONS

19. COMPONENTS OF CRITICAL THINKING • Does NOT Mean Giving Up Our Values/Beliefs • Does NOT Require That We Accept A New One • It DOES Require That We: • Identify & Challenge ASSUMPTIONS • Understand Our “STANDPOINT” • Understand ENCULTURATION & ETHNOCENTRISM • Consider Validity of “CULTURAL RELATIVISM” • Consider Validity of “CIVIL RIGHTS” • Develop a “REFLECTIVE ANALYSIS”

20. IDENTIFYING/CHALLENGINGASSUMPTIONS • Identify & Challenge ASSUMPTIONS • Understand Our “STANDPOINT” • Understand ENCULTURATION & ETHNOCENTRISM • Consider Validity of “CULTURAL RELATIVISM” • Consider Validity of “CIVIL RIGHTS” • Develop a “REFLECTIVE ANALYSIS”

21. IDENTIFY AND CHALLENGE ASSUMPTIONS • What Are Assumptions? • Ideas That We Accept Uncritically Because of Our Society, Culture, Socialization (Upbringing) • Generally We Do Not Question These Ideas – They Are Simply Accepted As True • These Assumptions Are Used to Observe & Evaluate Everyone Else & THEIR Values, Ideas, Behavior, & Culture

22. UNDERSTANDING OUR STANDPOINT • What Is a “STANDPOINT”? • Everyone’s Assumptions About Values/Beliefs/Ideas/Assumptions About “Proper” Behavior Come From His/Her Place in Society and The Culture S/He Learns • Everyone Evaluates the World – & Other People – From That Perspective • WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT THIS STANDPOINT IS & HOW IT AFFECTS OUR VIEW OF OTHERS.

23. ENCULTURATION &ETHNOCENTRISM • “ENCULTURATION”: Everyone Is Taught the Perspective of Her/His Culture • Everyone Accepts This Perspective Uncritically • “ETHNOCENTRISM”: Everyone Evaluates the World From the Perspective of This Culture of Origin • EX: Americans Evaluate Others on the Basis of Our American Values – And They Do the Same of US! • British Are “Stuffy” – Americans Are “Too Wild”

24. ETHNOCENTRISM • Evaluating Others On the Basis of One’s Own Values Is Natural • It Becomes Unfair When It Is Used As the Basis for Unequal Treatment of Others • EX: Religious Ideas & Values: • May Be Different From Our Own • Should Not be Viewed As “Evil” • Nor As the Basis for Unequal Treatment of Others • EX: U.S. Settlers’ Treatment of Native Americans

25. CULTURAL RELATIVISM • Recognizing that Everyone’s Perspective Is Related to Her/His Own Culture • Hence Each Person’s Perspective Is Valid WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THAT PERSON’S OWN CULTURE & VALUE SYSTEM • Each Person Has a Right to View The World in His/Her Own Way • Just As We Have the Right to View It Our Way • We Should All Respect Each Other’s Right to Do So

26. CONSIDER VALIDITY OFCIVIL RIGHTS vs.HUMAN RIGHTS • U.S. CIVIL RIGHTS: • Government Assumes Will of Majority Rules for ALL • Greatest Good For Greatest Number • E.g., Some Will Be Left Out • HUMAN RIGHTS: • Assumption That Every Person Is Equal & Valuable • So ALL Are Entitled to Certain Benefits • E.g., Food, Clothing, Shelter, Health Care

27. DEVELOP A PERSPECTIVE OF“REFLECTIVE ANALYSIS” • Develop the Ability to Consider Whether Other People’s Assumptions – Though Different – May Be Equally Valuable – FOR THEM – If Not For You • EX: You Do Not Have to Share Another Person’s Religious Beliefs In Order to Accept their Right to Hold & Practice Those Beliefs – As Long As They Accord You the Same Privilege

28. LOOKING FORWARD:NEXT SEVERAL CLASSES • We Will Begin With Tracey Ore’s Book (Pt. I) • Understanding the Meanings of Inequality • Understanding the Major Types of Inequality • Looking At Ways Inequalities Develop • Looking At WHY They Develop • Looking At Their Impact on Society, Individuals

29. FOR THIS EVENING:YOUR EXPERIENCES • Introduce Yourselves: • Name, Approx Age, Background (Where Born? Live?) • Do You (Have You) Worked? Kind of Job? • Occupational Goals? • Why Taking This Class • Describe Your Own Views of Inequality • IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE DOING THIS! • Ever Experienced Inequality? Observed It? • What Do You Think Causes It?